By Sunday Ani
Following the biting hunger as a result of acute food shortage in the land, an agricultural firm, Syngenta Foundation Nigeria (SFN), has organised a capacity building training for smallholder farmers on seedling production.
During the training, farmers drawn from Abuja, Nasarawa, Benue and Kaduna states were equipped with essential knowledge and resources to enhance productivity and market access.
The two-day hub-managers meeting on capacity building, performance review planning meeting and tomatoes seedling production, was held in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.
According to the organisers, the programme was designed to train farmers to understand the roles of hub managers, importance of data capturing and tracking, handson training on seedling production and access to knowledge and markets.
The SFN Country Manager, Isaiah Gabriel, disclosed that the Foundation’s mission was to improve the lives of smallholders’ farmers. “Our emphasis is on smallholder’s farmers, productivity, and access to market.”
He emphasised the Foundation’s commitment to facilitating farmers’ access to quality inputs and outputs, so as to enhance food production, while furthering Syngenta’s mission of improving livelihoods in the agricultural sector.
“I hereby call on all participants to remain focused on this training, so as to gain the best and build your capacity. There will be opportunities for practical and cross-fertilisation of ideas. The meeting affords you the opportunity to network with others for your growth.”
Highlighting the organisation’s expansive reach, Isaiah said: “SFN operates in different countries in Africa and Asia, including Mali, Senegal, Kenya, Nigeria, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, and India, among others.”
The lead facilitator of the programme, and SFN’s Agri-services Manager, Timothy Azakere, emphasised the significance of the farmers’ hub model, saying, “Farmers’ hub is a non-stop commercial service platform that grants smallholders access to quality inputs, mechanisation services, marketing platforms, and agricultural knowledge, enhancing productivity and enabling market participation.”
Timothy noted that as of last year, the Foundation had established 44 farmers’ hubs across various regions in Nigeria, including Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Abuja, Nasarawa, Oyo, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, and Benue states.
A data analyst with Syngenta Foundation, Favour Aiyedun, harped on the importance of data management and capacity building for farmers, urging them to optimise their performance this year.
The Foundation organised a tour for the farmers to visit hubs in Murya, Doma, and Nasarawa Egon, providing training on data recording and seedling production using coco pit.
In response, the farmers expressed joy at the opportunities provided. The participants were trained on how to record data and seedling production using coco pit.
Food crisis: Foundation trains farmers to boost production
